


Just Because I like Dick Doesn't Mean I Can't Swim

by SlinkySpiders



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Drama, Fluff, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Nanase Haruka & Tachibana Makoto & Tokyo, Olympic fic, Prejudice, but mostly haru getting discriminated against, first and foremost, haru and mako are precious, makoharu - Freeform, rin is angry and nitori is strong, there is some rintori in this i promise you that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-08 17:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3217883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlinkySpiders/pseuds/SlinkySpiders
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Makoto was happy, so happy that Haru had made it]</p>
<p>The Olympics are three weeks away and Haruka just admitted he's gay on live television. With Makoto. For years. </p>
<p>So what? That doesn't change anything. Right? Right?? </p>
<p>Wrong. </p>
<p>[Makoto was sad, so sad that Haru had made it]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Because I like Dick Doesn't Mean I Can't Swim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quaility](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quaility/gifts).



> Happy Birthday you fucker! This fanfiction is in honor of my very best weeby friend quaility. Please go follow her on tumblr and yes she is so great like WOW i hope you like MakoHaru.
> 
> Anyhow, this isn't the most accurate of fanfics, but then again, it's a fluff-fic so whatever. Idk how laws work for Olympics and teams and shit but I do know that it's illegal in Tokyo to discriminate against homosexuals. Also Haruka and Rin are going into the 2016 Olympics but I changed the city to Tokyo because it's easier and they're getting the 2020 one anyways so. 
> 
> Enjoy!

For the first few weeks, no, more like  _months_ after Haru's official announcement, they were absolutely swarmed by media for interviews and pictures and  _gosh_ it honestly tested Makoto's patience. Mostly because Haru would shove all that sort of stuff on Mako and just go and swim four more laps. While his head was surrounded by water, Mako was juggling phone call after phone call, trying not to loose his soft personality and cuss out each individual who hounded him with offers.

He had eventually pushed Haru into doing one. It was short, just forty-five minutes and two commercial breaks. Haru wasn't one for saying much anyways, so he figured that the interviewer would get bored and cut it short. And he had promised Haru dinner, which was a  _stretch,_ but he had been practicing! 

What he hadn't expected was for the woman (plump, pink lips posed to strike and nails so sharp Mako was surprised that she didn't tear lines down her legs each time she moved them) was to latch onto Haru's home life.  _Their_ home life more specifically. 

And now, because of that  _woman,_ he had a bundle of nervous Haru in his arms (which wasn't that bad, honestly speaking, but still awfully worrying) who still had his head nudged into Mako's left collarbone and hands shoved underneath Makoto's apron and shirt. The ends of his hair were still dotted with water, wetting the underside of Mako's chin. He looked so small now, like a cat curling in on itself for warmth. Mako sighed and pulled Haru a bit closer, loving the little, heated bubble that was forming around them. 

"This doesn't change anything right?" Haru asked softly.

Mako sighed, "No. We were planning to make it public anyways." 

He sometimes couldn't understand Haru. So cryptic without even trying. The swimmer's mind was constantly buzzing, that Mako  _knew,_ but often gave off no sounds at all. It was like a hybrid speeding by without making a noise. People would step out into the street and get crushed by a Prius because they couldn't hear it. Mako felt like that person oftentimes, when his boyfriend blindsided him with a sudden emotion.

"Yes but, " Haru paused, "I didn't ask you first and now  _everyone_ in Japan knows." 

"You're worried about people knowing?" 

Haru squirmed, "No, not exactly."

"What is it Haru?" 

Haru bit his lower lip, "I just don't want to inconvenience you." 

_Ah, there is it. The ambulance to come pick me up off the road._

Makoto burst into affection and tilted Haru's head up. He looked him in the eyes for a moment before kissing him quickly. 

"Don't worry about that Haru-chan! I love you and I just want you to be happy." 

Haru blushed, which was  _wonderful,_ "Lay off the -chan. You don't have to use a suffix with me.." 

Years later, he was still bad at words. But Mako picked up on the subtle  _thank you_ in Haru's few syllables. Most people grew sick of Haru quite easily because he gave them no sentences to reply on,  _not enough_ verbs to balance out the conversation. But Mako didn't think that. Mako just spoke for the both of them, filling up their little talks easily. 

"Ah! Haru!" He snuggled Haru into his chest, purposefully smashed the other's cheeks into his apron. 

Haru groaned but didn't move. Mako could feel a kiss pressed up against his breastbone, like a little lightning bolt sending happy jolts to his toes. 

_July 18th, 2016_

Mako dropped him off early, as he always did, before he went to work. Haru felt satisfied that morning, practice tempting him and mackerel filling his stomach. It still smelled like the late-night storm that had blowed into Tokyo, which only made the day more fulfilling. Earthy and fresh, it prompted him to walk a little quicker to the locker rooms.

With the Olympics only three weeks away, the hallways were a bit more active. Athletes gathered for breakfast or spoke eagerly to overzealous media professionals. Televisions blared the latest stats and figures for attendees and teams. Haru ignored it all, much more eager to return to the water. Mako had scolded him this morning even for attempting to leave without breakfast (he was  _seriously_ focused). 

He was one of the first to arrive, as always, and stripped quickly. Bathing suit clad butt, also as always, he dove into the pool for warm-up. A couple of his teammates were already swimming, and  _those_ were the ones to look out for, but most of them paid him no mind. 

Which was a tad bit odd.

Whatever. He was busy swimming anyhow.

Rin was late, but Haru knew that was because he had spent the night with Nitori and was probably still sleeping. The silver haired fox always had a way to keep the shark inside, even if said shark was a member of an international sports team. Haru decided to race him when he  _did_ arrive, as a subtle offer to wake Rin up. He usually had trouble after a time with Nitori, mainly because he wouldn't get another time like that for a while, and often filled the whole day with angry glares and snapping teeth. 

He had done his usual routine, but none of the coaches had come over to check up on him. Usually, his main coach, Mizushima, would swarm him as soon as he got in (cheeks red and breathes short). A kind man, of course, but awfully stout and incredibly sour. He knew his strokes better than his heart health though, and often caught Haru's mistakes or quick blurbs of sloppiness. 

He was attending to another swimmer, Matsumoto was it?, and seemed distracted.

More odd.

Haru brushed it off again. He swam a bit more, still aimlessly practicing with no guiding hand.

After he had gone through his routine  _once more,_ did Mizushima approach him. The man's cheeks weren't red, nor were they puffed, and his breathes seemed more shallow today. 

He guided Haru,  _of course,_ but avoided looking him in the eye. 

Odd.. 

The morning moved slow for Haru, like a river slowly drying up. He disliked this feeling and was almost relieved when Sousuke took over his training towards noon. Rin had finally shown up and was currently getting scolded by the head coach for being so  _damn disrespectful!_ and had the biggest pout playing across his lips. 

Sousuke was acting normal with him, which wasn't odd, and Haru enjoyed getting back into the flow of things. The water kept him grounded, locked into sanity and balance while the day passed by in chaos. Sousuke seemed to find the same roots as Haru, for his rhythm was not disturbed. His voice continued to chide Haru for  _lame back kicks_ and  _keep your head down geez,_ which felt good,  _really._

He got lunch with Rin and that was a strange mixture of  _wow it's the Olympics!_ and  _why does Nitori have to work a regular job!._

Haru kept his mouth shut as he ate his bento and neglected to voice his thought of:  _you know, Mako has a full-time job too and you don't hear me Rin._

But years of endearing his friends' tantrums kept Haru steady. Besides, he would've felt awfully lost if Rin hadn't dumped all this on him. He didn't think he could stand any more oddities. 

The afternoon offered less clues and more confusion. Even teammates seemed to turn away from him,  _distracted?_

Deep down, a familiar fear itched at Haru's heart, like an old wound aching in the wake of a rainstorm. He pushed it down, chalking up the wonky attitudes of his colleagues to simple nerves of the upcoming events. He would not push prejudice onto people preemptively. 

And so, his odd day concluded. When Mako asked him about it, looking tired as hell but still  _so_ interested (how did he manage that every day?), Haru simply answered with, 

"Fine." 

He figured it was one odd day. One odd day could easily be unraveled and smoothed over.  

Or, as it turned out, be bunched up until there was nowhere else to go. 

_July 26th, 2016:_

_12:32 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Oi, Sousuke, you awake!] 

_12:34 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Hey! Come on, you better not be ignoring me]

_12:40 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [I have nude pictures of Momo] 

_12:42 A.M. Sousgay:_ [What do you want Rin]

_12:44 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [You're pretty gross, you know that! Anyhow, I don't have any pictures of Momo's butt (sorry!) but I can't sleep]

_12:46 A.M. Sousgay:_ [I see no reason to continue this conversation] 

_12:50 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Wait wait I have a reason. I just wanted to ask you something before I forget to. Is there something going on with Haru? Like, all the coaches have been treating him different and shit] 

_12:52 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Like, it's not what I think it is, is it?  You saw the interview, so don't say you don't know what I'm talking about. You're one of em' Sousuke. I just wanna make sure Haru won't get hurt. Or worse] 

_12:57 A.M. Sousgay:_ [It might be. They aren't really telling me much other than there's some mention of kicking Nanase-san off the team. But I don't think that will happen] 

_12:59 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [What! Are you fucking kidding me? No way. No way they would do that] 

_1:03 A.M. Sousgay:_ [Maybe. Who knows. I don't want to push any sort of blame on others though, not yet. I think everyone's still adjusting to the confession. I wouldn't do anything foolish Rin, really. I'm just an assistant coach, so they don't let me in on a lot of things] 

_1:10 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [I swear to god if they kick Haru off the team then I'm gone too. Sousuke, you're telling me everything right? And that's one hell of an adjusting period!] 

_1:15 A.M. Sousgay:_ [Yes, why would I lie? If I hear anything new I'll tell you okay? Don't worry about it. Now go to bed. It's late and you have early practice] 

_1:18 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Okay. Thanks Sousuke. Also-] 

_Uploading images..._

Sousuke almost choked on his tongue. 

_July 27th, 2016_

It was only Tuesday, but Haru felt incredibly worn down. His times had gone down considerably, head too stressed to focus on the water.

The only thing,  _the only thing_ that could make him feel insecure in water was Makoto. If it involved Mako, then his priorities were resorted into little bins and scattered cross his mind. He had no clue where to look now, the oddities of that one day suddenly overwhelming him.

Because it was  _more_ than one day, it was a week and counting. Some of his teammates still paid him notice. If he wasn't eating lunch with Rin then he wasn't eating lunch  _alone_ at least-he still had people that joined his table. But many others turned away from him, their noses up and eyes down. What was more odd was that those who still spoke with him seemed on edge, as if they had the inklings of a great secret and could not speak a word.

But Haru knew their secret. He knew why his name was being passed in the locker room under hushed breathes. He had interrupted a conversation between some of the younger members, his form knocking them into reality and out of the way. He could still feel their words lingering in the room though, like frostbite it nipped at his heart.

_Kicked off the team? Because he's a homo?_

_It's about time!_

Haru didn't usually let this sort of thing bother him. People's hate could easily be ignored, at least in his mind, but this would affect his ability to swim, and worse, it would break Mako. The kind-hearted dolt didn't take well to being the object of gossip and scorn, and most certainty wouldn't take well to Haru being that object. He felt as if he were at a cliffs edge, feet grasping onto the soil in a futile attempt to keep from falling. 

But the fall was coming, and Haru knew it.

He knew it in the way his coaches avoided him. Sousuke still kept a diligent eye on him, which was reassuring, as well as Mizushima. But the head coach, who had been fond of him,  _seemingly,_ was the most distant. He no longer attended Haru's practice at all, and was often found on the other side of the pool entirely, too  _distracted_ to look his way. 

When Haru approached him, he made excuses to leave and often got this sort of twisted look on his face, as if he had swallowed acid and realized it too late. 

What worried Haru more was the discussions the coaches had each night, without Sousuke (he was only an assistant though), and as he would leave, their eyes would grasp him, keep him completely wracked in fear until he had left the building. He knew what they were doing. He knew those judgmental eyes and sloppily disguised looks of disgust.

He knew exactly what this was about and he didn't like it one bit. 

And now, he was getting yelled at by Mizushima for dropping an entire minute off his time. He was  _distracted,_ he wanted to scream.  _You people are driving me up a wall!,_ he wanted to shout. But he didn't. He didn't because he was still on that cliff, looking out at the cavern below and desperately trying to keep his grip. Teammates watched their confrontation with big eyes and open mouths, surprised that the star of their team was slipping.

He hoped people chalked it up to nerves,  _but he knew they didn't,_ and took an early lunch.

Sousuke found him picking at a salad (Makoto had been too busy that morning to make him one) in the deepest corner of the cafeteria. The large man patted Haru on the shoulder and gave him a message. 

"Head coach wants to meet with you after afternoon practice. By the locker room he said. I wouldn't be late," Sousuke turned to leave and added, "But Nanase-san, just remember-me and Rin have your back."

Those words, as reassuring as they were meant to be, actually ruined Haru's afternoon practice.

His form was messy, turns difficult, and times ridiculous. He was barely making any progress and still  _exhausted._ Hours felt like chunks of brick to Haru, chunks that were being shoved down his throat. He could barely breath by the time he made it to the showers. 

Rin slipped into the shower next to his. Although there was a wall between him, his sharp voice still pierced through the running water and thick concrete. Haru dreaded Nitori's morning routine. 

"You've got a meeting today, right?" Rin asked, mouth muffled by bubbles.

Haru  _hmm'd_ in response, a deep, familiar answer of  _yes and I'm nervous._

Rin was one of the few people would could speak Haru and he got the message. No other words were spoken between them until the water was turned off with a hissing  _squeak!_ and both men had towels wrapped around their hips and neck. Silently, they journeyed to their lockers. Changing quickly, Haru almost thought that Rin would leave their discussion as it was, which wasn't bad, but-

"Good luck," Rin's voice was serious. 

"Thanks," Haru replied, trying to keep his own voice as steady as possible.

_God,_ he was about to fall wasn't he? 

The head coach, a balding man who was always in sweatpants regardless of what time it actually was, was hovering outside the rooms as promised. Haru kept his face solid as they began to talk, but with each word he felt a little crack in his facade. 

 "Nanase-san. I'm sorry to inform you-"

_Slipping, I can't hold on._

"On such short notice, but we feel we have no other choice-"

_Dirt slides through my toes. I feel my face press up against the wind._

"To remove you from the Olympic team-"

_But it does nothing to break my fall._

Haru feels his heart beat loudly, pounding up against his throat. He could probably stand to puke, completely stain his coach's toes and leave a lingering feeling of  _anger_ and  _how could you_ in the locker room. 

But he doesn't. He just shakes his head multiple times, trying to keep from crying and punching the bald man's puny face. He wants to knock his teeth out. Because  _now it's personal old man._ The coach doesn't look him in the eye once, still determined to avoid what he feared it seemed. Haru didn't speak once, not one syllable fell from his lips. Suddenly, he realized, there was a gaping silence asking to be filled with his response. 

He swallowed deeply and tried to wedge his saliva past his heart that was still lodged in his throat. 

"I-I don't understand," He tried. 

"Nanase-san,  _please_ try to. We're in a difficult situation here-" 

Haru couldn't listen to him anymore, his emotions bubbling up and threatening to scar his heart indefinitely. 

"I have to go," He spat out, his words angry and shaken. 

The coach didn't make any moves to stop him, and Haru wondered if missing an afternoon full of water was worth it anyways, but then Mako flashed in his mind and all their  _sneers_ and  _hushed_ voices kept him away. He didn't know how he was going to get home. He didn't have a lot of cash on him, and Mako was still at work. Haru didn't dare call him, too scared to pull the man away from his job.  

But,  _how_ would he break it to Mako? Would he just slip it in at dinner? Perhaps when Mako was half-asleep? No, he had to face this full on. He couldn't hide behind rice or lidded eyes or even Mako's naive heart. It would only lead to more pain. And as much as he hated to admit it, Haru was honestly so afraid of pain. He couldn't stand it. 

So, there he sat, when he should've been  _practicing_ goddamnit, on the city bus. He had just enough to pay the fare to their apartment (or as close as he could get), and the ride only made his heart ache more. Now that it had fallen back into his chest, his entire torso pounded with a dull sense of fury, slowly evolving to sadness and hurt. Hints of confusion lapped at his stomach. Confusion at  _why_ he was still getting discriminated against in 2016. Confusion at why Sousuke didn't warn him,  _did he even know,_ confusion at how he was going to break Mako's heart that night. 

When he got home, he took two painkillers and slipped into bed, too emotionally fraught to attempt anything else. He felt so alien, for not even water could bring him out of this funk. 

_Just what have I fallen into?_

He didn't sleep much, just tossed and turned and worried. He cried somewhat, which was distressing, but his tears were much more hot than cold. As the afternoon waned, he found himself yearning for the evening as to have a proper reason to be in bed. Perhaps he could pretend that he were sick, at least to keep Mako upright for a few more days.

_And how far have I fallen?_

That's how Mako found him. Curled up in a small ball, hair sticking out from the tops of the comforter. He had been distraught when Haru wasn't at practice, but quickly waved home by Rin who gave him a curious note: "He ain't here. But, wherever he is, he probably needs you more then ever," 

Rin had refused to tell him what was up, saying that it  _wasn't his place!_ and  _Haru ought to face this with you first._

Thanks Rin, that had really helped to make him less distraught. 

Now Haru was sleeping, at  _seven_ at night. He was still in his training uniform, with trunks underneath no doubt, and looked as if he had been wrung out and left to dry. Mako couldn't put a finger on it, but just the usual curve of Haru's face seemed slightly deflated. His cheeks were puffy.

And then Haru sat up and looked at him, and Mako felt his heart freeze in his chest. It was as if his fears were looking straight at him. Haru looked like someone had taken his puppy and set it on fire. His eyes were lined with red, still bloodshot (from tears no, no, no Haru  _never_ cried), and cheeks looked awfully pale. His expression, although usually serious, was set into sadness. Mako started to tremble, his mind instantly whirling up the worst conclusion.

_No, Haru said it was fine. Haru said everything was fine._

_How could I have been so stupid?_

Of course Mako had noticed how distant Haru had been, how vague he had been over the past week. Days seemed to trouble the swimmer, and even their usual dinner conversations had dwindled into silence dining only interrupted by the clang of chopsticks. Mako didn't want to call on anything though, too afraid to bring up the subject and offend Haru. He had just assumed that training had gotten a bit slow, which does happen, or perhaps Haru had had a fight with Rin, which happened way more than either of them were comfortable with. 

But deep down, he knew something else was going on. He was just too kind to approach it. And he knew it. Now Haru sat, with old tears dried on his face and a look of utter distress slowly starting to form on his lips. Mako reached out and patted Haru's hair, too shocked to speak just yet. No words had to be tossed between them for Mako to get the severity of the situation.

"You won't have to pick me up anymore," Haru began.

Mako smoothed out a line on his forehead, thumb gently rubbing into the crease. Haru leaned into the touch.

"What are you saying Haru? That's nonsense, of course I'll pick you up," He replied.

Haru shook his head, "No. No I can't swim on the team anymore. They said-they said they had no other choice," 

_Bullshit._

Mako shook with fury, but kept his face schooled for Haru's sake, "They can't do that. They  _can't_ do that Haru."

Haru shrugged, "Apparently they can," He put his head in his hands, "I don't know what I'm going to do Mako." 

Mako wanted to pick him up, swing him in his arms and stomp all the way to the stadium and  _demand_ that they let Haru come back. He'd train Haru himself  _damn it_ if it came to it. How could everyone be so bias in one place? Was there really so much hate brewing in that team? 

_I don't want Haru to be a part of that,_ He first thought. 

But one look at his boyfriend changed his mind. 

_But it's his dream,_ He corrected himself. 

"We'll make it through this. I promise, Haru, we'll be okay," He tried.

Haru didn't look up, just took a shuddering breath and sighed, "Mako, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"No! Don't apologize, okay? This isn't your fault. We can find a way to make this work, I  _know_ we can." 

Haru finally broke away, his eyes watching Mako carefully. 

"Okay." 

That night was quiet for the both of them. Mako didn't force Haru to eat dinner, and instead dined alone. Haru didn't sleep all night, opting more to sit on the edge of the bed and think. Mako did his fair share as well, his mind a turbulent setting of worry and silly solutions. One continued to bubble in his mind though, still fresh and edgy. It seemed ridiculous though. He knew Haru wouldn't  _like_ it per-say, but he couldn't let Haru loose his dream so quickly. 

He couldn't. His heart was too big for the both of them. Such a proposition though, it would probably end up looking bad later on, and it wouldn't last forever. But it was a quick fix, it  _was_ the easy way out.

It was 5 a.m. Haru had just showered and the smell of soap hung in the air, keeping Mako awake. He had slept for maybe two hours, bits and pieces of rest in-between panic and nerves. He wasn't sure if Haru slept at all, but he had no time to ask. He had to tell Haru what he was thinking. He couldn't go to work like this, it was  _too much_ for him to handle. Such a proposition was probably going to end in an argument,  _he knew,_ but it wasn't a bad idea. 

Okay, so it was a terrible idea. 

And Haru thought so too, if going by his bizarre expression and wide pupils. 

"You what?" He asked.

"I can pretend to break up with you. Like, for the press. Then, when you go the coaches, they won't have a real reason to discriminate against you." 

Haru shook his head, "That's stupid. And it won't work. They wouldn't just let me back on. I don't stop being gay when I'm not with you." 

"Yes but they  _might_ change their mind! And then you can swim Haru and I don't really mind it that much-"

Haru raised a hand, and Mako could feel the air crackle with the impending discussion. Razor sharp and dangerous, an argument loomed in the distance, slowly forming. 

"No. I won't hide you Mako! And you won't  _mind that much?_ How could you even say that! Is our relationship nothing to you?" He was starting to get angry, proven by the amount of words he was actually using. 

Mako stood up from his earlier position on the bed, "It means so much to me! That's why I can even think of doing this! Haru, I just want you to be able to swim. I don't care if they think we're together or not. And if this solution really does work th-"

"No! Mako I love you and I'm not going to break up with you, pretend or  _not._ How dare you even think that's a solution! How dare you even suggest that! Do you really think I'd just accept that and move on? I'm not about to throw you away because they threw  _me_ away," Haru shot back, now trembling.

"Haru please-"

"I can't believe you. I can't believe you would think that's okay," 

Mako took two steps towards him, but Haru took four back. He gave Mako a shaky glare and snarled, turning away from him.

"I'm going to Rin's. I can't talk to you right now. I'm-I'm-"

_Too drained from being kicked, too tired to try and argue with you, too scared of what is right around the corner._

"Haru-"

"I'll see you later. I can't deal with this much right now," 

With his feelings splayed out on the table, he left, keeping Mako locked in shock in their bedroom. 

_Goddamnit._

_July 29th, 2016_

Mako hadn't seen Haru in almost two days. The athlete had stormed off, seemingly finding refuge with Rin. Since then, a little ball had formed at the bottom of Mako's stomach, getting larger and larger as each hour passed. 

It was reinforced when Haru's removal had been announced on television. Some newscaster questioned it, hinting at their reveal two weeks earlier, but most of it went unmentioned. He had gotten several texts from Rin, which, to be honest, didn't help that much. 

_7:09 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [What the fuck were you thinking? Telling Haru that you'd  _pretend_ break up with him? God!] 

Makoto didn't reply. Just let Rin's harsh words run over him. Each verb cut a little deeper into his heart, both guilt at his own words and sorrow at Haru's loss.

_12:34 P.M. Sharkweek:_ [Haru says he's not mad anymore but that he still wants to stay here. I almost quit the team too, but Sousuke and Haru stopped me. You better be ready when you face him] 

_5:34 P.M. Sharkweek:_ [I don't know when you'll see him again. But this if messed up. I'm sorry Makoto]

Mako just wished Rin would  _call_ him and spill all those words at him at once. But something nipped at his mind telling him that Haru was most likely the one who was dictating this-too distraught to allow Rin to accidentally seep any of that emotion to Mako. Years of living with the blunt swimmer made Mako an excellent translator, but even now, he felt put-off by Haru's attitude.

He  _had_ messed up though. 

Bad. 

He also got texts from Nagisa, which did help just a bit. The duo were still working down in Osaka, trying to squeeze in as much time before they came to see Haru and Rin swim. 

_10:36 A.M. Iwatobi-Ice-Pick:_ [Heard what happened to Haru-chan! :( Me and Rei-chan will support you forever okay!!! We'll see you soon!! Punch one of the coaches for me!!!] 

Nagisa's texts were just as overwhelming as his speech, as it turned out. 

He didn't really eat or sleep that much that night either. 

_July 30th, 2016_

_7:34 A.M. Sharkweek:_ [Oi! Get over to the stadium right now] 

Mako coughed slightly, still groggy. Rin's bright message blared through his sleepiness, however, and brought him into stark reality.

_Why?_

Was Rin attempting to patch things up between them? 

_Really?_  

Mako almost slammed his phone back onto his nightstand, fed up of games. But something still tempted him, still held his thoughts in a cage and baited him. He groaned, almost rolling out of bed and into the shower. The hot water stripped him awake, peeling away his layers of exhaustion, but he still carried that growing ball, weighing him down. 

He drove as if in a mist, still aware but ultimately befuddled. 

And then, like beacons in a fog, they pierced through his confusion.

Signs, like  _protest signs?_

Oh god, Rin what did you do? 

Vague memories came flooding back. He remembered Rin dragging him LGBT events,  _months_ ago. A smile on his face as he reminded Mako and Haru again and again-

_"He's the vice president!"_  

Of what? Sheez, Mako couldn't remember. But all those blaring signs-a blurry cacophony of colors and kanji, kept him in check as he attempted to sort through the crowd. He parked close and fell out of his car. Rin was in his training gear, talking through a megaphone. 

It was then, and Mako really must've been truly muddled if he hadn't noticed it before, that he saw just how many people were gathered outside the stadium.

500\. He would say. Maybe more. He'd never been good at math.

There Rin stood, preaching truth (or so he hoped) as if he were a pastor speaking the word of God, with his little silver fox at his side. Nitori looked proud, cheeks red and teeth out as he joined in. Haru was nearby, Mako stopped his lanky form and smooth hair instantly. He dove into the crowd, attempting to push his way to the front. He ran into Gou (who looked absolutely thrilled to see him) and Momo (who almost cried), as well as Sousuke (who helped to get him to the front,  _bless)._

And then he was face to face with Haru. Nitori noticed them before Rin did and kept the crowd going. Mako heard bits and pieces, but his mind was elsewhere.

Because Haru had just engulfed him. His arms were wrapped firmly around his waist and his face was planted deeply into his chest, as if Haru were trying to escape something. Mako felt tears bite at his eyes but he pushed them down and opted to kiss Haru on top of the head. 

He tried to sound normal, "Hey."

"Hey," Haru's voice was muffled by his sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said such stupid things, I wasn-"

Haru looked up at him, "No. Don't apologize. I should've been better talking to you. And I-"

_I just want us to be okay._  

Yes, Mako spoke excellent Haru. 

"Shush, we'll be okay," Mako said softly.

Haru blushed, even shining a small smile. 

Mako chuckled, making Haru shake. 

They separated, but Haru still kept a firm grip on Mako's right hand. 

"So," He started, "What's all this?" 

Haru looked nervous all of a sudden.

"Rin called Nitori and hi-his group. They're here to protest," Haru explained dully, "About me getting removed. Rin came out-he came out too."

"Yeah. I see him,"  Mako replied.

Haru shook his head, "No. I mean, he came  _out._ Nitori kissed him earlier." 

Realization bloomed on Mako's face, "Whoa. Okay. He really does get passionate when he's angry, huh?"

"Isn't  _that_ the understatement of the century," Nitori's voice chimed out behind them.

Mako turned around to catch his gaze, finding comfort in Nitori's soft smile. Another person had gone up to speak now, along with Rin who obviously would  _never_ be done. Nitori was still clutching the megaphone though, as if his words were just paused and waiting for his return. Mako had forgotten how tall he had gotten, still (although it had been years) floored by the fact that Rin had stuck to Nitori for so long. 

Mako chuckled, "Well, it is really thoughtful of you guys to pull all of this together." 

"It's  _more_ than thoughtful. It's your guys' right to swim. I mean, they  _can't_ kick you off. Like, it's against the law," He reached out and squeezed Mako's arm, obviously using him as a substitute for Haru (he had always been perceptive about personal space-unlike Nagisa, his faithful counterpart.

"And we would do anything for you guys. Hopefully this protest forces them to a decision. Haru-chan even went up and testified," Nitori winked, "I filmed it too. I think you'll want to see it Mako-chan."

Haru blushed and turned to Mako, giving him a desperate glance. Mako laughed and simply pecked Haru on the forehead. Haru pouted, if only for a moment, but soon schooled it into his usual serious expression. He coughed and looked to the side.

"It's okay. I can tell him later," Haru mumbled.

Nitori giggled and then it seemed that his words were calling him again, because he had been pulled back up to speak. The crowd chanted in waves, each word another flip and turn of their anger. Haru was silent, but obviously fixed on whoever was speaking. Mako yelled for the both of them and even had two signs shoved into his hands. He wasn't really ever aware of what they read, but the message was so clear. He felt so soft now, warmed by his passion and by Haru's hands shoved into his sweatshirt pockets (which was seriously making him sweat in the summer heat, but he was too happy with Haru's fingers at his waist that he didn't dare take it off yet). 

They stopped at noon as protesters became weak from hunger. Rin bounced over to them and they all gathered, eating lunch quickly and glaring at any athletes that dared look at them in the wrong way. Haru saw some of his former teammates hover by the stadium doors, too timid to approach them. 

Rin scoffed, "Losers." 

Mako chuckled, "They can't just quit practice for a whole day Rin. They aren't you." 

Rin downed the rest of his soda, "Well they're still losers! They could at least come over." 

"You're so mean Rin! I wonder how you ended up on a  _team_ at all," Nitori teased.

"Shush!" He smothered Nitori's face in his jacket and stole a tomato from his packed lunch. Nitori yelped, screeching at Rin to give him back  _his fruit of energy and power_ and Mako wondered if Nagisa had rubbed off on him too much. 

"Ah," Haru said quietly. Mako let him lean up against his side, content on observing the conversation as always. 

"Yeah. We're good," Mako replied. 

_August 1st, 2016_

As it turned out, Haru was allowed back on the team pretty quickly. Mako had filed a complaint though, still intent on harassing the department until they switched out their coaches (which would never happen, but he liked to dream). He was cut from the relay though, which made Rin burn, but Haru was content.  

It wasn't until later, when they were curled up on the couch after a day of  _actual_ practice, that Haru realized he didn't really care much for the swimming after all. 

Not in this case.

All he wanted was for Mako to see him swim. He could imagine his proud smile. It didn't matter if he won or lost. 

It  _didn't_ matter. 

Haru cursed himself for becoming so damn domestic. 

"What's wrong Haru?" 

"Nothing Mako-chan."  

**Author's Note:**

> eughghg my heart. i hope you all liked it! :) please leave kudos and comments-they really warm my heart
> 
> ik this was unrealistic as fuck but i didn't want a super sad story b/c if i had made it my usual way haru would've been banned forever and then they would've adopted a kid or something maybe i will make an alternate end to this fic in another fic haha.


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